The Other Boleyn Girl is a Historical Fiction novel written by British author Philippa Gregory, loosely based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn. Reviews were mixed; some reviewers said it was a brilliantly claustrophobic look at palace life in Tudor England, while others have consistently pointed out the lack of historical accuracy. Even so, it has enjoyed phenomenal success and popularity since its publication in 2002, and launched a new wave of Tudor-centric historical romances.

The Other Boleyn Girl speaks of the little-known sister to Anne Boleyn. Inspired by the life of Mary Boleyn, Gregory depicts the annulment of one of the most significant royal marriages in English history (that of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon) and the great need of a male heir to the throne, though most of the actual history is highly distorted.

This book has examples of:

Berserk Button: Better not remind Anne of her failed marriage to Henry Percy. She learns to suppress her feelings as the book goes on, though.

Bittersweet Ending: Anne and George are dead, but Mary gets to live Happily Ever After with her husband, far away from the court (which is where she were always happier during the course of the story).

Book Ends: The film starts and ends with three children playing in a meadow.

The book does this too, with a different event; it begins and ends with a scene where Mary is attending a public execution, expecting the king to give a pardon out at the last minute. She's wrong both times.

Deadly Decadent Court: The Tudor Court has spies everywhere and is full of people scheming constantly to get the king's favour who will stab you in the back at a moment's notice. Your closest relatives think of you only as a pawn in a chess game, especially if you are a girl.

Death Glare: In one scene when Anne becomes jealous of the king flirting with other women, he looks at him "with a glare which would have frightened a lesser man".

The Determinator: Deconstructed and Reconstructed. Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. Mary tells Catherine that Anne and Henry may be getting along so well because they are both this trope and a lot alike. When Catherine points out that she is determined as well, Mary tells her that she is differentiated from them by being a lot less selfish and willing to put others before the goals she is determined to achieve.

English Rose: The novel is even more overt than the film in its portrayal of Mary as idealistic. Anne describes Mary (albeit mockingly) as "sweet and open and English and fair" at one stage, and Henry VIII himself refers to her as "my little English rose".

Historical Villain Upgrade: Anne. Although the real Anne Boleyn was no doubt ambitious, she also did a lot of good in her life, such as supporting many charities, sheltering Protestants fleeing from other countries, promoting artistic endeavours, and showing an unusually keen interest in her daughter's upbringing. Furthermore, most historians now agree that she was almost certainly innocent of the crimes she was accused of, including incest with her brother.

Anne also gets a Historical Coward Upgrade. The real Anne faced her execution with boldness, dignity, and faith; Gregory's Anne is a sniveling, hysterical basket case.

Thicker Than Water: Mary's love for her sister always overcomes their rivalry. The only people Anne can trust is her siblings Anne and George.

Title Drop: Several times. Both Mary and Anne are referred to as "the other Boleyn girl" at various points, depending on which one the king currently favors.

Understatement: Mary describes Anne's reaction of her getting married to William is "not best pleased".

Unwanted Spouse: Jane Parker, wife of George Boleyn; and also Catherine of Aragon to Henry VIII. And eventually Anne as well.

Wanting Is Better Than Having: Anne pretty much personifies this as the story goes on. Yes, she becomes queen, but she doesn't enjoy it for long. The common people despise her, she's under enormous pressure from all sides to produce a male heir - which she continuously fails to do - other noble families constantly seek to supplant her with their own daughters, and once she's slept with Henry he loses interest in her relatively quickly, and eventually grows to resent and then hate her. But, as Mary bluntly tells her: "You wanted to marry a king. I warned you it wouldn't bring you joy."

Wrong Genre Savvy: In the execution scene at the beginning Mary thinks the king will pardon the man being executed. Her mother calls her a fool for that. She doesn't seem to learn, as she goes through the exact same thoughts at Anne's execution at the end.

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